Ok I'm getting sick of carrying my tripod around by hand - it just gets in the way far too much - so I need something to carry it with. At the moment I do have a bag with a tripod slot, but if I am using the main backpack part of thebag to carry anything delicate I don't like mounting hte tripod and if I am out on a longer walk I tend to use my non-camera bag (And thus no tripod holder at all).

So at the moment I am trying to decide between one of the quick strap options or a proper tripod bag. The strap options are good in that they are not bulky (thus don't get in the way) and they are also quick to use - in addition they don't care what tripod head you use since it won't affect the strap in any way.
The bag options seem a little more tricky to pick since they will need to be large enough to accomodate both tripod and tripod heads - though they do offer a little more padding on ones back (as opposed to straps which just leave the metal legs digging into ones back) as well as a general cover for rain and mud and stuff.

What I do to carry it is used a old camera strap. I put a key ring on both sides
and a small climbing hook on the tripod by the head. on the bottom of the tripod
I make a loop around the legs. works great for me

I have a shoot at noon. when I'm done I'll post a few photos to show you what I'm talking about.

Good question. And a tough one to answer. Nothing quite replaces a good tripod. But, they are often more trouble to carry than worth the effort. Stabilizing features in modern equipment helps a lot. Not 100%, but a lot. I used a clampod in Europe because many places simply prohibit tripods. Technique (bracing yourself) helps. An alternative could be an adjustable walking stick with a camera screw adapter on the top. This can be used as a unipod, a very good, but again not 100%, subsitute. Carrying the tripod? If you are determined, live with the hassle, there is no perfect alternative.

Hey, Sorry I took so long to get back to this. I've been doing a lot of reading here and it slipped my mind. Anyway, here's a few shots I took with my P&S, I carry the tripod upside down on my back. It seems to work better then when I'm using the tripod case itself and still allows me to carry one or sometimes even two backpack type camera cases.